Semiconductors are ubiquitous in modern society and used in a wider range of uses. Some examples are modern electronic components such as diodes, transistors, etc. The pure silicon is used to create wafers or substrates that can be used in electronics for fabrication of integrated circuits or printed circuit boards or photovoltaic cells. Wafer fabrication processes are carefully controlled and managed processes.
A semiconductor fabrication plant has many cluster tool. Cluster tool apparatuses are a type of integrated equipment that are used in semiconductor processing methods, in particular cluster tools are used in wafer processing. Cluster tools are used in the wafer manufacturing process. Cluster tools are used to process wafers by using a predetermined recipe or process. Cluster tools provide a flexible reconfigurable, and efficient environment, resulting in higher productivity while resulting in shorter cycle times.
At times, a cluster tool apparatus may be required to be closed down or shut down to an idle state. In this idle state the cluster tool apparatus is incapable of processing wafers. One common reason to close down or shut down a cluster tool apparatus is for maintenance work. Cluster tools require regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance, longevity of the cluster tool apparatus and ensure yielding of high quality wafers. Cluster tool apparatuses may also experience a failure from time to time. If the cluster tool apparatus or a component thereof fails for any reason, the entire cluster tool apparatus is required to be shut down to an idle state.
It is of economic interest and importance for a plant to have an efficient close down process or method to ensure that productivity and quality are not compromised. There is a need to provide an improved method of controlling a cluster tool apparatus to provide an optimal close down process. There is also a need to provide a method of controlling a cluster tool to account for any failure in the cluster tool apparatus.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a cluster tool apparatus with a method of controlling the cluster tool apparatus that will ameliorate one or more of the current problems associated with closing down known cluster tool apparatuses or at least provide the public with a useful alternative.